Americana roots duo Courtney Hartman (Della Mae) & Taylor Ashton (Fish & Bird) are releasing their first album, Been on Your Side, on August 31, 2018, and will be touring Colorado from August 31 - September 9. Partnering with Colorado’s The Music District, Hartman and Ashton have developed a new perspective on touring that’s aimed at giving back to Hartman’s home state. As part of The Music District’s deTour initiative, which works with artists to bring them out to underserved communities in Colorado, Hartman and Ashton will be touring elder care facilities and bringing their blend of acoustic roots music to elder audiences. Crossing eight cities statewide, Hartman and Ashton will team up with Fort Collins-based senior care music specialist, Hanna Doreen Brown, to create music in interactive and loving spaces with these elderly communities. This deTour aims to call attention to the people that have woven the fabric that we call home, people with stories that have yet to be told and whose stories are too often neglected. These are our grandmothers and grandfathers. Hartman, Ashton, and Brown will engage in group and one-on-one music making sessions, documenting their process with video and audio recordings along the way. Culminating each day with shows in the community, they hope to raise awareness and visibility for these often overlooked and invaluable members of our social fabric.

“deTour was created to explore non-traditional models in touring,” says Kyle James Hauser of The Music District, “but also to interact with communities in a more meaningful way than just rolling in for soundcheck.” This spirit of interaction will be key to Courtney Hartman & Taylor Ashton’s performances, and Ashton has actually worked with elderly communities using music to help with memory loss. Hartman and Ashton will also be working with the Wish of a Lifetime organization to work with one particular elder songwriter to help him finish his songs. Some of the venues that Hartman & Ashton will visit on their deTour of Colorado include The Courtyard of Loveland in Loveland, CO; Beehive Homes in Pagosa Springs; Prospect Park Living Center in Estes Park, CO; Cliffview Assisted Living in Grand Lake, CO.